About the Designer

Upon meeting Staci Woo, frenzied designer is not the first thing that pops into your mind. The impression instead is one of calm. Yes, calm. Rather than a fury of lipstick and heels, Staci is a woman that could explain algebra to a six-year old. Her motions are fluid, her expressions sincere, and her design space a quiet oasis of creativity.

This native Northern California gal moved south after studying art at the University of California, Santa Barbara. While in school, Staci worked at a local swimwear company and made her splash into the fashion industry. However, her real break came in 1995, as assistant designer to Adriano Goldschmied for A. Gold E.

"It was a humbling experience," she says of her days in the trenches.

"I was young. Adriano taught me not just about design, but how to see things. He'd rush into the office holding up a pair of dirty blue jeans or an old tee shirt and exclaim, 'Do you see it! Isn't it fantastic!?'"

While toiling for Adriano, Staci began crafting on her own. She whipped up sling bags for personal use that soon became coveted possessions of friends and family. One became two, two three, and thus, in 1997 Woo was born.